REVIEW
EVOLUTION
Starring David Duchovny, Julianne Moore and Orlando Jones
Directed by Ivan Reitman
Now showing
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So you think you want an Evolution
Ivan Reitman’s latest effort, Evolution, finds him trying to rewrite the formula for the funny paranormal buddy film. Trying. Very hard.
Two scientist-professors (David Duchovny and Orlando Jones) discover a life form unlike any other residing on a meteor that has crashed in one of America’s great states. The organism has an exponential rate of evolution, and it is not long before the community is affected and the government takes over the case.
The obvious casting of The X-Files’ Duchovny as a scientist pitted against the government in an alien cover-up offers a few punch lines, but the comic timing is sorely lacking throughout – every pratfall and line of dialogue strikes two beats too late
Still, Jones is definitely worth mentioning as Harry Block, the smooth geologist who doubles as a women’s volleyball coach. Academy Award nominee Julianne Moore is also amusing as Allison Reed, a clumsy government scientist who becomes sympathetic to the renegade profs trying to protect their discovery. And Sean William Scott aptly stumbles about, reprising the question, "dude, where’s my car?"
Unfortunately, Evolution ultimately falls prey to the same problems that most other summer blockbusters suffer from – a promising trailer is followed by an unfulfilling, unfunny film. Teaming a beautiful, smart redhead with three guys to fight an unknown gooey evil may have been a successful scenario in the past, but perhaps Reitman overlooked the fact that he had a hit with Ghostbusters because his screenwriters on that film actually had a sharp sense of humour. |
